Fragrance Review: Estee Lauder Sensuous

Think of what's sensuous to you. Now think of what's sensuous to Amy Winehouse, Paris Hilton, and Angelina Jolie. They're all wildly different, I'd imagine, and they're as diverse as they are personal. So Sensuous ($39.50–$69.50), the new fragrance from Estee Lauder, is aptly named; it's not going to turn everyone on in the same way, but it gives everyone something to think about.

The fragrance notes are woody, spicy, and floral — which could make for an olfactory mess. It doesn't, though; instead, it's a harmonious blend of smells. Sensuous is a surprisingly complex perfume that takes more risks than you might expect from a mass launch. It starts out with a burst of sweet florals but soon dries down to a honeyed, warm, and woodsy scent that lasts for hours. It feels like more of a winter scent than a summer one to me, but, well, it's not like Sensuous won't be around in November.

The weakness of Sensuous isn't its bottle, which is a little plain but still perfectly pretty. It's the dreaded "old lady" potential. This perfume stands out from the sea of fruity florals by being a little more nuanced, a little more intellectual than your average peach-raspberry smashup. That's a plus, but it takes a woman, not a girl, to appreciate this. Which means, inevitably, that someone will say it's too old-lady. I think it trends a little close, honestly, and while I can appreciate Sensuous, I don't absolutely have to have it. But it is refreshingly different and worth exploring, so I'd sniff it out if I were you.

chiquita: I love Moon Sparkle! you are so right. Yeah maybe Pleasures just smelled 'old lady' on me ;) ; it's also the chemistry between a perfume and your skin that makes it tick. But oh do I love Moon Sparkle! :)

Pleasures was considered "old lady"? Really? I used that when I was like 17 or so. I loved it. Anyway, this bottle is a bit boring, and I just recently bought Escada's Moon Sparkle, which i'm happy with.

This was like the exact same problem with Estée Lauder's 'Pleasures'; started of florally, but quickly went old-lady. They need to reinvent themselves. Only excellent fragrance they came up with is Beyond Paradise.

Yeah, some people will definitely cry "old lady" (even though it really isn't fusty at all). It's definitely something that *could* be worn by mature women, but it would work just as well on a 28-year-old. I'm just happy to find something unusual and somewhat risky for a mass launch.

I don't typically like Estee Lauder perfume bottles. This perfume sounds nice though with the exception of the bottle. And to be honest any perfume that can be described having "old lady" potential and intellectual is more appealing to me than certain other perfumes.